Unforgetable Trips

Our guru and his disciples would often go for pilgrimage trips. On each trip his disciples had unexpected 'visitors' at many temples.


No.1

On his first trip, he stayed in a friend's house in Chennai. He visited a few places in Chennai and decided to go to Madurai Meenatchi Amman temple by train. However, the next morning, he cancelled his plan as 'mother' as informed him of a mishap.

As a replacement, we hired a van and went to 'Narashimman' temple at Arakohnam. It was a few hundred kilometres away and we took a few hours to reach there. The temple was on top of a hill. People have to go up more than a thousand steps to reach it.

We were already tired of the long bumpy ride. The sight of the steps really shocked us. We sat for a while to gain some energy before we start climbing the steps. As we walked to the first step, an old lady who looked like a beggar rushed down the steps. Our guru confronted her and told his disciples to get her blessings.

When we looked at her to get her blessings, we noticed that her eyes looked like 'cat's eye' and she uttered out some words in Sanskrit as her blessings. She walked away quietly and was not seen again.

Since that place nearly looked like a mini desert, it was surprising how she could have got out of our sights. We started to climb up the steps and reached the temple. From there, our van looked very small. We prayed and left. We were on time for the night news. As warned by 'mother' there was a mishap in the train that was bound for Madurai.


No.2

In Chennai, we visited 'Ahlenkaadu Sivan' temple. The temple was big but few people visited it. I felt that this temple was abandoned. We moved around very freely and saw many Siva Lingams around the main sanctum.

On our way, we happened to meet a 'holy person', an old man in 'kaavi clothes'. He was wearing 'rudraksha' beads around his head, neck, arm and wrist. We stopped to take photos with him and he blessed us. We carried on and noticed a pond full of fishes.

We bought some fish food and began to feed them. Suddenly, I noticed our guru was moving away from the crowd. I followed him about 10 steps away to see what was he up to?

He walked towards an old man. He looked like a brahmin in his late 70s'. The old man smiled at our guru, 'come Krishna, come Vegadasalapathi, I was expecting you here for a long time'.

Our guru squatted in front of him and their speech was softened. I slowly moved forward to the old man. He looked and smiled at me. The old man quickly uttered a few words to inform that he doesn't speak Tamil.

However, I knew something 'fishy' was going on between them and I already heard him talking in Tamil. Anyway, I got his blessings. Soon others joined us and they were blessed too. We walked a few steps and looked back, to our surprise, the old man had disappeared.


No.3

Our guru visited Thirumalai/ Thirupathi on his 2nd trip to India. It was quite late, an elderly man called Maniam, his son called Prakash and our guru stayed in a cottage on the hill to attend the Morning Prayer session.

It was past midnight, Mr. Maniam and his son were sleeping soundly while our guru had some 'special visitors' from the hills. Prakash was awakened by wired noises.
He looked at his father and he was sleeping peacefully. Prakash got out of his bed to find out where the noises were coming from.

Though it was dark, he noticed some glimmering movements around our guru. He quickly turned on the lights and was shocked to see many 'angels' with golden attires and small crowns on their heads were talking to our guru. They disappeared immediately on seeing Prakash.

'What is happening Samy? Prakash asked our guru. Guru replied to him 'These angels are from the hills. They were persuading me to go back with them. You don't have to suffer like this in this human form so please return with us.'

On hearing it Prakash quickly woke his father up and told him everything. They stayed beside Samy till the morning to make sure that he doesn't disappear. They attended the morning prayers and went down the hills to continue their trip.


No.4

Once we went for a trip in Rishikesh and our guru was supposed to meet a 'special person' there. Knowing this, all his disciples kept following our guru everywhere hoping to meet the 'special person' too. But such person never appeared
at all. On completing the Rishikesh trip, we went to South India.

After visiting several temples we went to Tirupathi. We stayed in a hotel below the hills and went up the hill the next morning. We completed our prayers and were walking out of the temple. Since it was praying season for 'Lord Ayyappa' most of the devotees were dressed in black attires.

It started to drizzle so our guru and another disciple took shelter in a nearby hall while others went to buy souvenirs. A few minutes past, our guru noticed a holy man in 'kaavi attire' approaching him. Though there were many people around, he walked straight towards our guru.

He had plaited logs of hair on his head; he carried a 'kamadalam' (a small kettle) in one-hand and rudraksha beads in another hand. He was very dark and his forehead had a deep mark like a 'third eye'.

The holy man clasped his hand in front of our guru and then he raised his hands as a gesture of blessing and recited 'you are sithar of all sithars, guru of all gurus, yogi of all yogis, deva of all devas and you are Para-Brahmam'. He clasped his hands together again and poured some sacred water from his kettle into our guru's hand. The disciple beside him was astonished.

He was given some sacred water too. The holy man left the place and walked straight into a wall beside them and vanished in front of them. Other disciples felt sad in missing such a gifted opportunity.

The disciple who took the sacred drink could not sleep the whole night due to intense heat in his body. He began to neglect his family life and intended to stay there permanently.

Our guru gave another glass of sacred water and told him to cool-down, as it was not the right time then. He became normal again.


No.5

Needless to say, our guru has been a 'mother's pet', meets her in person in various forms in most of her temples. Especially like an old woman. If not she will meet him at night while everyone are sleeping. However such visits are part of our guru's life.

Once we went to Kerala, Chottanikarai Bagavathi Amman temple. It was about 7pm and the speciality in this temple is curing people possessed by evil spirits. We went there to observe the prayers. Priests were preparing for the prayers while the possessed ones were taken care by their family members. Our group moved slowly around the sanctum and suddenly our guru stopped us after seeing an old woman.

He told us to get her blessings and we followed his instructions. That old woman looked very stern from the beginning until our guru moved forward to her she began to smile. She started to touch his cheeks and held his chin with mother's love. I could see that they were talking by heart to heart. After a few minutes, we went up to the main sanctum.

Two of the disciples who were keen in talking to her went down again. She was sitting there in meditation. Knowing their arrival, the 'old woman' opened her eyes and starred at them. Her fierce looks chilled them and they immediately returned.

After sometime, when the temple was about to close, every one of us were trying to have another glimpse of the 'old woman'. Since there was only one passage, we wouldn't have missed her.

Others who went in search of her came back without seeing her. Our guru told us that she has disappeared and this search was to confirm his statement.


No.6

Our guru and one of his disciples made a sudden trip to South India. He visited the temples of 9 planets. While coming back to Chennai, they stopped for a drink along the highway. They were drinking their tea when a man with dirty cloths caught my guru's sight. He had logs of hair and his face glowed.

Our guru knew him and that divine person began to observe our guru too. They had 'heart to heart' talk. Our guru asked his disciple to buy him a drink. After that drink, he asked our guru to follow him to his home. He seldom speaks to anyone and others were thinking that he is a dumb.

Though he looked like a beggar, he is rich. He has discarded his wealth and was living in a small hut build above his brother's 3-storey house. His needs are very less yet his siblings financially support him.

Our guru was happy to meet him. He recognised our guru's divine secret and chatted with him in 'code words' for sometime. The disciple was happy in getting another opportunity in meeting a good soul. That person began to say many things about this disciple. It really shocked him.

Our guru bid farewell to him and carried on his journey.


No.7

On another incident, 'mother' informed our guru about a person he should meet in a temple. As instructed, our guru
and this disciple went to the temple the next morning.

Meanwhile 'mother' also informed that person in the temple about our guru's visit.

After waiting for sometime he decided to go to Murugan temple as planned earlier. However, he returned to his place again and again on reaching the temple's entrance. This made him more curious about our guru.

Though it was their first meeting, once our guru stepped into the temple, this person walked quickly towards our guru
and hugged him.

They discussed about their dreams and other matters.

After sometime they bid farewell to each other hoping to meet again soon.